Pollution effects amplified in pregnant women

Air pollution antagonizes the body. It can lead to asthma and in extreme cases, lung cancer. While we typically associate its detrimental effects with the respiratory system, air pollution may have even more grave consequences. A recent study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, suggests that unclean air may be just as toxic as cigarette smoke for pregnant women.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Florida, focused on several well-known air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other fine particulate matter. These compounds, which are released from factories, power plants, cars and forest fires, can be suspended in the air for months.

To investigate the effects of these long-lived compounds on pregnant women, the University of Florida researchers synthesized the Environmental Protection Agency’s estimates on air pollution and local birth data. The combined data revealed that pregnant women have an increased risk of developing preeclampsia, a disorder characterized by high blood pressure if exposed to ambient air. Among the 22,000 individuals examined for the study, 4.7 percent developed hypertension while pregnant. High blood pressure is particularly dangerous for pregnant women. It significantly increases their risk of seizures, stroke and death.

However, pregnant women are not the only ones affected by air pollution. Other studies have shown that pollution can negatively affect the cognitive and behavioral development of infants while they are still inside the womb. This is not particularly surprising, as scientists have long known that fetal development is extremely sensitive to environmental factors.

Recently, however, concrete numbers were applied to this knowledge: Researchers found that the children whose mothers were exposed to a greater amount of PAH, a very common air pollutant, during their pregnancy scored about 2.8 lower on an IQ test than the children of women who were exposed to less PAH. While an IQ difference of 2.8 is small, this could have a detrimental effect on the human race in summation, as nearly everyone is exposed to air pollution on a daily basis. Thus, the total impact of air pollution on infant behavioral and cognitive development could become a major problem in years to come.

This research heightens the anxiety to make a safer and cleaner world. Although we know that much of this air pollution is created through our own activities, changing our habits will not be easy. Moreover, improving air quality is extraordinarily difficult. Air pollution is found virtually everywhere and it can cling in the atmosphere for a long time. Currently, the impact of air pollution on reproductive health and fetus development do not carry significant influence for environmental legislation. This means pregnant women can only take precautions by limiting their exposure to unclean air.